food4future (f4f) is an interdisciplinary research project within the funding initiative “Agricultural Systems of the Future”, supported by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR). The goal is to develop new approaches for secure, healthy, and sustainable nutrition—even under extreme conditions such as the absence of arable land ("No Land") or disrupted global trade routes ("No Trade").

The focus is on alternative food sources such as macroalgae, jellyfish, salt-tolerant plants, and insects. These are to be cultivated in urban indoor systems—resource-efficient, independent of climate, soil, and freshwater, and directly located where people live.

In the current second funding phase, ten project partners from research, technology, urban planning, and society are working together to turn this vision into reality. food4future sees itself as a real-world laboratory for the nutrition of the future: practical, transformative, and always in harmony with our planet’s ecological limits.

food4future is funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) as part of the “Agricultural Systems of the Future” initiative. The project began in 2019 and has been in its second funding phase since October 2024. The aim is to build on the promising results of the initial phase and develop concrete solutions for implementation—toward a sustainable and future-ready food system.

Read more about the projects here.

food4future is a broad-based research consortium that brings together partners from science, technology, urban planning, communication, and industry. The participating institutions collaborate in thematically coordinated subprojects—ranging from the cultivation of alternative food sources to the development of new technologies and the involvement of consumers.

The project is coordinated by the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ). The central office handles project management, communication, and both the organizational and content-related coordination of the overall initiative.

A steering committee—composed of representatives from the subprojects and various disciplines—strategically guides implementation and fosters professional exchange. This close collaboration forms the backbone of food4future: interdisciplinary, practice-oriented, and solution-driven.

For more information about food4future's structure, please click here.

food4future offers various ways to actively participate—digitally, creatively, and in everyday life. The current focus is on interactive formats that provide insights into our research and encourage dialogue.

With our macroalgae app (currently in development), users will be able to learn more about algae cultivation. The app presents how algae grow, which environmental conditions are important, and how they can be produced sustainably—in a creative and accessible way. It’s ideal for school projects, students, events, or as an introduction to the topic.

In addition, we collaborate with citizens in the Future Food Living Lab to jointly develop new nutrition concepts. Digital tools, workshops, and participatory elements such as gamification or urban planning processes will also become part of our engagement formats in the future.

Current offerings and event dates can be found on our website or through our social media channels.

Are you interested in sustainable nutrition, urban agriculture, or novel food sources? Then food4future is the right place for you!

We support early-career researchers and offer you the opportunity to actively participate—for example, through internships, seminar projects, or thesis work. Our topics range from biological research and technology development to communication, design, and urban planning.

If you already have an idea of what you're interested in, you can directly contact the project leads of the relevant subprojects—a full list is available on our project pages.

You can find more information about possible collaborations and contact options on our "Young Talents" page.

We look forward to hearing from you!

An overview of all scientific publications that have been produced within the framework of food4future can be found on the "Publications" page.
The media echo on the research project, such as interviews with the project partners, podcasts, newspaper articles, livestreams, portraits and much more is available in German under f4f in the media.

If you are looking for a specific publication, please use the search function on our website next to the social media buttons on the top of the page. If you do not find what you are looking for, you are welcome to contact us directly.

We keep you updated on current developments, events, and participation opportunities—not only on our website under “News,” but also through social media.

There, we share insights into our research, introduce our teams, and show what the future of food might actually look like. Engaging with you is especially important to us—every piece of feedback counts!

You can find us here:
Instagram: @food_4_future
LinkedIn: food4future – Future of Food
Bluesky: food4future – Future of Food

Follow us, join the conversation—and help shape the future of food with us!

The future can't be predicted—but it can be prepared for. That’s why food4future works with two so-called extreme scenarios: “No Land” and “No Trade.” These help us to anticipate potential challenges and develop innovative solutions today for the world of tomorrow.

In the “No Land” scenario, there is little usable farmland left—due to factors like climate change, water scarcity, or soil salinization. Conventional agriculture is barely possible. That’s why we explore alternative cultivation systems such as urban indoor farming and salt-tolerant plants that require minimal freshwater.

In the “No Trade” scenario, global trade is severely restricted. Nations become more isolated, and imports and exports—even of staple foods—are barely feasible. In such a future, we need regional, self-sufficient food systems. Decentralized production and alternative protein sources like insects, algae, or jellyfish can help ensure food security.

Neither scenario is intended as a prediction—but as a thought experiment to inspire resilient food systems for the future.

The “No Land” scenario could become reality if climate change renders soils infertile, water becomes scarce, or cities continue to expand. Even necessary measures—such as protecting natural habitats or expanding carbon sinks—could further reduce the amount of land available for agriculture.

A “No Trade” scenario becomes more likely if new environmental regulations make international trade more difficult or if countries become politically isolationist—for example, by banning genetically modified products. Events like the COVID-19 pandemic or global supply chain disruptions have shown how quickly such disturbances can occur.

food4future explores new ways to make food systems more sustainable—within the limits of our planet. Our solutions focus on resource-efficient production, short supply chains, and alternative raw materials.

For example, we conduct research on salt-tolerant plants that require little freshwater, and on modular indoor farming systems that don’t depend on arable land. The use of reusable materials and the assessment of environmental impacts are also central to our approach.

Our goal is to develop food systems that are adaptable, equitable, and future-ready—for the benefit of both people and the planet.

The Future Food Living Lab is our real-world laboratory for urban nutrition. It brings together researchers, the public, urban planners, and other stakeholders to collaboratively develop practical solutions—from new food products to everyday challenges.

The goal is to jointly explore how food systems can work in cities: local, sustainable, and adaptable.

It creates a space for dialogue, co-creation, and innovation—rooted directly in society.

Our ideas and projects are designed with the future in mind, but many already work today. We explore alternative food sources like algae, insects, jellyfish, or halophytes – and test them together with partner institutions and companies for their practical use. What’s meant to secure nutrition in the long run needs to be tested now.

If we told you, we’d have to offer you a smoothie.
Made of algae. Or insects. Or both.
Seriously though: our research focuses on extreme future scenarios – like water scarcity, urbanization, or resource shortages. What works in space could be useful on Earth too. Just a bit more down-to-earth and for everyone.

Absolutely nothing! Even though we get that question a lot: food4future is not a supermarket brand, and we don’t sell food products. If your favorite snack is missing from the shelves at Penny – we’re sorry to hear that, but we’re not involved.

These four organisms have great potential for the nutrition of the future:
They require little space, use little or no freshwater, and provide high-quality nutrients – such as proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, and minerals.

At food4future, we are researching how these organisms can be cultivated in sustainable indoor systems – right in the heart of the city. In this way, they could play an important role when farmland becomes scarce or global trade routes are disrupted.

More information can be found in the descriptions of the f4f-subprojects.

Some of the f4f model organisms are already available on the market as food.

Although they have been caught and eaten in Southeast Asia and Oceania for several thousand years, jellyfish are relatively unknown and not approved as food in the EU. They would therefore fall under the Novel Food Regulation and be subject to an additional approval process. 

Samphire or glasswort is one of the best-known species of the so-called halophytes (salt plants) and grows along the coasts of the northern hemisphere, including in the mudflats of the North and Baltic Seas and in the Mediterranean region. The salty fresh vegetable can already be found in some supermarkets (fish counter). Other edible halophytes include garden orchid, spoonwort, and sea kale. The South American pseudocereal quinoa is also a salt-tolerant plant.

In Europe, marine macroalgae are known as foodstuffs mainly in northern European countries such as Ireland, Scotland and Iceland, but they are also a familiar part of the cuisine in France. In Germany, macroalgae are mainly found in food that at first glance do not appear to be derived from algae. One example is agar-agar, a thickener made from red algae, which is also used as a vegan substitute for gelatin.

Frozen, dried and ground ​​​​​​house crickets have been approved as a Novel Food in the EU since 2022. The processing of cricket flour in various foods (such as crisps, granola bars, cookies, bread or pasta) was also permitted under recently.

The trend towards urbanization is steady and continuous. Today, more than 50% of the world's population lives in (peri-)urban areas. According to UN forecasts, Europe alone is expected to reach an urbanization level of 80% by 2030. However, most agricultural production takes place in rural areas far from consumers.

In combination with the f4f extreme scenarios "No Land" and "No Trade", this leads us to develop innovative solutions for urban agricultural production. However, in order to prevent the already scarce living, working and mobility space in cities from becoming even more restricted, fallow land such as disused subway tunnels, former industrial plants or house roofs will become new places for food production. For this purpose, flexibly adaptable (scalable) indoor systems, the so-called "Urban Bio Spaces", are being developed that enable efficient food production for food4future organisms - individually or in co-culture. In the long run, an extension and adaptation of the system for further organisms is conceivable.

What might these "Urban Bio Spaces" look like? A virtual reality simulation gives an insight into the food4future biofactory of the future (choose  English subtitles in settings):